Course Assessments
Further details about these assignments will be provided in D2L.
Class discussion (20%)
Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- You are expected to read and post in D2L your written notes about the assigned readings.
- You must prepare one question in response to the reading. We will use your question to guide our discussions.
These discussions are designed to help the student and the professor find meaningful ways of communicating their understandings of the materials.
Reading Quizzes (20%)
Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4
- There will be four quizzes that will occur during our semester. Each quiz will test for reading comprehension of the assigned texts.
These assessments are designed to gauge your comprehension of the course materials.
Exams (20%)
Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4
- There will be a midterm examination as well as a final examination.
Defining key terms, identifying key arguments, and short response writings will comprise these exams.
Reading Outline (10%)
Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4
- Provide an original one sentence summary of each paragraph of a reading you’ve selected.
- Please provide a sentence explaining where the author’s argument “clicked” for you.
This assignment is designed to facilitate and enhance your reading and note-taking practices.
Argument Outline (10%)
Learning Outcomes 1, 3, 4
- Using your reading notes and class notes, create an outline of an argument we’ve studied this semester.
- There are three dimensions to this assignment:
- You are expected to identify the author’s written and implied presuppositions.
- You will also need to present the logical relationships between their presuppositions and their conclusions.
- You will identify at least two items in their arguments where you see an error in their logic, where they are factually wrong, or where they’ve made an error by omitting important information.
This assignment is designed to facilitate your reading and note-taking practices.
This assignment also demonstrates how you are comprehending and evaluating the course materials.
Personal Philosophy Paper (20%)
Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- This is a two-part assignment. Early in the semester you will write a short essay (at least 500 words) in which you discuss your philosophy of life.
- You will then be asked to revise your initial personal philosophy paper in light of what we have read and discussed in this class.
This assignment demonstrates the ways in which the student has developed in response to the materials covered in this course.
Midterm Grade Notification
You will have access to your grades through our online learning space. Your final grade is contingent upon your daily discussion and participation, writing assignments, and performance on the reading quizzes; as such, your final grade may change dramatically by the end of the semester.
Makeup Exams and Late Assignments
All students are required to meet course deadlines. Late work will not be accepted unless there are extenuating circumstances, such as those mentioned in the attendance policy below.
Grading and Rubrics for this Class
Grading Scale
Students are evaluated on the following scale:
A 90 – 100 %
B 80 – 89 %
C 70 – 79 %
D 60 – 69 %
F < 60 %
I — Indicates an incomplete grade for the course, and will be awarded only when the student has done satisfactory work up to the last two weeks of the semester, but for nonacademic reasons beyond his/her control is unable to meet the full requirements of the course. Incomplete grades are only valid after submission of the Incomplete Grade form (signed by both the instructor and student) to the Department Chair’s office.
Evaluations of Student Work
You will receive feedback from me about the works you’ve completed within seven days of when you submit it.
Student Evaluation
Your constructive assessment of this course plays an indispensable role in shaping education at Kennesaw State and it is critical to my development as a scholar and professor.
I have designed this course to include several opportunities for discussion between us about your learning activities and ways in which I can guide you as you develop your learning strategies. Please, let’s make the most of our time together.
Rubric for Assessing Participation
We are expected to act according to the highest ethical, professional, and scholarly standards.
We can do our best work when we foster the best performances from one another; to that end, I will use the following to evaluate the quality of your work in our class:
Rubric for Assessing Writing
I will use this rubric to assess the writings you create in response to the readings in this course:
Click here for the description of this course and required materials.